She graduated with a B.A. in Spanish and an M.A. in Southwest Hispanic Studies from the University of New Mexico where she was part of the university’s first class of Ronald E. McNair Scholars. She graduated with her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in Hispanic Studies with concentrations in Latina/o cultural studies and sociolinguistics and also served as the Assistant Director for UIC’s Spanish for Heritage Speakers Program. She has worked in the field of Spanish as a Heritage Language for 19 years. She previously developed and directed the Spanish as a Heritage Language Program and the Spanish for Heritage Learners Nicaragua Summer Immersion Program at New Mexico Highlands University. She has also served as faculty for the Summer Spanish Immersion Program for Bilingual Teachers at New Mexico Highlands University from 2006-2019. She actively promotes recruitment and retention of Latinas/os/xs in higher education and has worked with local and national Latino higher education organizations such as the USDA Hispanic Serving Institutions Office, HACU and the Tucson Hispanic LeadershiInstitute. Dr. Lillian Gorman is a proud Chicana and Nuevomexicana from Albuquerque, New Mexico.